Lingering Sentiments
by Hades Dragon
Summary: AU. Riku, called to Disney Castle by the King to investigate mysteryous happenings in the Hall of the Cornerstone, ends up making interesting discoveries...


**Erm, hi again. This is an idea I had a while ago. After hearing of their connection (hatred towards Xehanort), I'd always wondered what it'd be like for these two to meet…****I had to take some liberties, so this is somewhat AU. Sora hasn't fought Terra in the context of this…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts…**

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Riku sighed tiredly as the Gummi ship landed in Disney Castle. The trip had taken a while. He swore he'd never go on the damned things again (although, he grudgingly admitted he should get used to it, as he might be using the ships quite a lot in the future). Closing his eyes, he couldn't help but wonder how he'd been convinced to go here in the first place…

Oh, yes, now he remembered. After the Disney folks' departure, he, Sora, and Kairi, had been living peacefully on the islands, following their usual routine before the chain of events that so drastically altered their lives.

It was nice, he thought, being able to return to that peace, if a little boring. It was complicated having to explain their absence to the island residents, and even now he didn't exactly remember how the heck they'd managed to do so. And he couldn't have cared less.

School had not been a problem up until that point, taking his creepy fangirls aside. He had always been a fairly decent student, not wanting to end up like Sora, who often had to stay up late into the night to finish projects due in a few days' time.

He'd been with Sora, talking on the play islands, when Kairi had arrived with a bottle containing a letter.

A very, very important letter from the King. Besides asking if they were well, he reported that all was currently well with the worlds, but that he their help with something.

He said that he was sorry to bother them with his problems, but he really needed assistance, and that a Gummi ship would arrive on the islands a few days later.

Initially, Sora had declared he'd go, and Riku did not mind, but after some thinking, he'd decided it was best that Sora stay, and that he, Riku, should go in his stead.

He figured the poor boy deserved at least some peace, and another absence might not sit well with the boy's mother. Not to mention Kairi would likely not appreciate him leaving again so soon…

And besides that…he grinned. He hoped his two young friends would, in his absence, take the hint that they should just get together already, since it was so obvious they each had an enormous, mutual affection for the other.

Finally stopping all the reminiscing, he dropped off in the hangar. He looked around. It wasn't much to look at, but he supposed such an area didn't require much beauty.

He heard tiny footsteps, getting louder and louder by the second. He opened his eyes, and saw two little chipmunks running towards him. Chip andDale.

The pair rushed to greet him. "Hiya!" said Chip. "His Majesty's expecting you! Ya better head over to the Library!".

"Alright", said the silver-haired youth, running a hand through his hair, and holding back a yawn. "No, no, there's no need, I can find it", he said, politely declining the duo's offer of showing the place to him.

Riku looked around as he made his way through the castle. This was his first time here. Disney Castle really WAS a beautiful place…King Mickey and his queen were indeed very lucky.

"Ah, this must be it", he said, pushing open a large door. And he was correct. Before him laid a large room filled to the brim with stands full of books.

There were pictures of what he assumed to be the King's ancestors, and he could see a tiny little dog bed in the corner with a dish, engraved with the name "Pluto". He assumed it was the dog Sora mentioned.

Sure enough, the tiny mouse king was there, his head deeply buried into a book. Riku waited a few moments, before coughing, as if to make his presence known.

The King looked up, and spotted him. He blinked a few times, before bursting out a wide smile. "Riku, you're here!", he said, getting up from the chair and shaking his hand.

"Yes, sir", Riku said smiling, eagerly shaking the King's gloved hand. "You wanted me for something?", he asked.

King Mickey wide smile gave in to a frown, and he sighed. "Yes. I need your help. Something odd has happened to the castle. Come with me".

Riku curiously followed the mouse monarch out of the cluttered room, and into the hallway. He couldn't help but wonder what he needed from him… The King suddenly stopped outside a large door Riku hadn't noticed on his way there (how exactly he'd missed something so large, he had no idea).

He opened a small entrance in the door, and went in. Riku followed suit. He smiled. The room was a wide, wide hall, with carpets, pillars, and a throne at the end.

It was really quite long, even more so than it looked. It took at least a minute for them to reach the end. "We're about to enter a very special place", said the King, opening up a secret path beneath the decorated chair.

Riku followed the King down the stairs. It wasn't a long descent. They reached a white, silent hall with a glowing sphere in the middle.

"I suppose this is the Hall of the Cornerstone Sora mentioned?", he asked. He remembered his friend telling him of his venture into the past, into the black and white world.

He'd met the king's past self, saved the castle from darkness, and resisted the temptation to change the future.

He wondered how he'd done it, that boy. Had he been given the chance…

"Yes, it is", said the King, stopping suddenly. "The Cornerstone protects the castle from evil forces and keep darkness away. But the Cornerstone itself isn't the reason I called you here", he said to an astonished Riku. "That is", he said.

He pointed to a glowing swirl in the corner of the room.

It was grey, silent, and ethereal, and Riku felt an odd atmosphere gripping the area around the wretched thing. It made him think of the past…

"What's that?", he asked. Sora had mentioned no such thing when recounting the venture. "Well, Riku, shortly after Donald, Goofy and I came back, we noticed this portal had generated here", he said worriedly. "We don't know what it is, or how it came to be here. But it's fishy."

"And I suppose you want to investigate where this portal leads to?", Riku asked, his eyebrows cocked. "If you wouldn't mind…I'd go with you, but it's very important I stay here. The castle could need me at any time. And Donald and Goofy can't go with you either, I'm afraid, the two are vital members of the court".

"…I see", said Riku, nodding. The King frowned even more deeply. "I hope you don't feel this means I consider you expendable…" "No, no, your Majesty. I understand. I'll go through. If I'm not back soon, you might want to send Sora here. Who knows where this might lead…"

"Will do", said the King, nodding. "Be careful Riku…I have a bad feeling about that thing...make sure you come back as soon as you can".

"Alright. I'm going in", he said, and jumped into the portal, letting its swirls envelop his body like a vice.

He felt odd, like he was flying, drifting away…but it was different from the corridors of darkness he'd once used…very, very different…he didn't feel nearly as uneasy…and more than ever before, it made him think of the past, and how much he regretted a good deal of it…

He landed. He felt dust rise up, and he coughed. Where had he ended up?

He began to inspect the area. He saw sand…sand as far he could see. "Well, this is boring", he said to no one in particular.

Then, he saw them, and his eyes visibly widened. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of keyblades surrounded the area…what was this place?

A metallic sound echoed through the air. Riku turned around. Before him, laid possibly one of the oddest figures he'd ever seen…

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**Well, that was it. Next chapter is their confrontation… Review, and make sure to tell me what you think…**


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